,,ii  #aagth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #cfaj  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,february #i1  
#bjbb,mr4 ,ossoff 7for himself and ,mr4 
,warnock7 introduced the following bill2
 which was read twice and referred to   
the ,committee on ,environment and      
,public ,works  ,a ,,bill  ,to establish
 a program to provide environmental     
assistance in the ,chattahoochee ,river 
,basin1 and for other purposes4  #a4    
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,chattahoochee ,river ,act4  #b4    
,chattahoochee ,river program  7a7      
,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7     
,non-,federal interest ,the term        
non-,federal interest has the meaning   
given the term in section #bba7;b7 of   
the ,flood ,control ,act of #aigj 7#db  
,u4,s4,c4 #aifb;d-#e;b7b774  7#b7       
,secretary ,the term ,secretary means   
the ,secretary of the ,army4  7b7       
,establishment  7#a7 ,in general ,the   
,secretary shall establish a program to 
provide environmental assistance to     

non-,federal interests in the           
,chattahoochee ,river ,basin4  7#b7     
,form ,the assistance under paragraph   
7#a7 shall be in the form of design and 
construction assistance for             
water-related resource protection and   
restoration projects affecting the      
,chattahoochee ,river ,basin1 based on  
the comprehensive plan under subsection 
7c71 including projects for-- 7,a7      
sediment and erosion control2  7,b7     
protection of eroding shorelines2  7,c7 
ecosystem restoration1 including        
restoration of submerged aquatic        
vegetation2  7,d7 protection of         
essential public works2  7,e7 beneficial
 uses of dredged material2 and  7,f7    
other related projects that may enhance 
the living resources of the             
,chattahoochee ,river ,basin4  7c7      
,comprehensive plan  7#a7 ,in general   
,not later than #b years after the date 
of enactment of this ,act1 the          
,secretary1 in cooperation with ,state  
and local governmental officials and    

affected stakeholders1 shall develop a  
comprehensive ,chattahoochee ,river     
,basin restoration plan to guide the    
implementation of projects under        
subsection 7b77#b74  7#b7 ,coordination 
,the restoration plan described in      
paragraph 7#a7 shall1 to the maximum    
extent practicable1 consider and avoid  
duplication of any ongoing or planned   
actions of other ,federal1 ,state1 and  
local agencies and nongovernmental      
organizations4  7#c7 ,prioritization    
,the restoration plan described in      
paragraph 7#a7 shall give priority to   
projects eligible under subsection      
7b77#b7 that will also improve water    
quality or quantity or use natural      
hydrological features and systems4  7d7 
,agreement  7#a7 ,in general ,before    
providing assistance under this section1
 the ,secretary shall enter into an     
agreement with a non-,federal interest  
for the design and construction of a    
project carried out pursuant to the     
comprehensive ,chattahoochee ,river     

,basin restoration plan described in    
subsection 7c74  7#b7 ,requirements     
,each agreement entered into under this 
subsection shall provide for-- 7,a7 the 
development by the ,secretary1 in       
consultation with appropriate ,federal1 
,state1 and local officials1 of a       
resource protection and restoration     
plan1 including appropriate engineering 
plans and specifications and an estimate
 of expected resource benefits2 and     
7,b7 the establishment of such legal and
 institutional structures as are        
necessary to ensure the effective       
long-term operation and maintenance of  
the project by the non-,federal         
interest4  7e7 ,cost sharing  7#a7      
,federal share ,except as provided in   
paragraph 7#b77;,b71 the ,federal share 
of the total project costs of each      
agreement entered into under this       
section shall be #hj percent4  7#b7     
,non-federal share  7,a7 ,value of land1
 easements1 rights-of-way1 and          
relocations ,in determining the         

non-,federal contribution toward        
carrying out an agreement entered into  
under this section1 the ,secretary shall
 provide credit to a non-,federal       
interest for the value of land1         
easements1 rights-of-way1 and           
relocations provided by the non-,federal
 interest1 except that the amount of    
credit provided for a project under this
 paragraph may not exceed #bj percent of
 the total project costs4  7,b7         
,operation and maintenance costs ,the   
non-,federal share of the costs of      
operation and maintenance of activities 
carried out under an agreement under    
this section shall be #ajj percent4  7f7
 ,cooperation ,in carrying out this     
section1 the ,secretary shall cooperate 
with-- 7#a7 the heads of appropriate    
,federal agencies1 including-- 7,a7 the 
,administrator of the ,environmental    
,protection ,agency2  7,b7 the          
,secretary of ,commerce1 acting through 
the ,administrator of the ,national     
,oceanic and ,atmospheric               

,administration2  7,c7 the ,secretary of
 the ,interior1 acting through the      
,director of the ,united ,states ,fish  
and ,wildlife ,service2 and  7,d7 the   
heads of such other ,federal agencies as
 the ,secretary determines to be        
appropriate2 and  7#b7 agencies of a    
,state or political subdivision of a    
,state4  7g7 ,protection of resources ,a
 project established under this section 
shall be carried out using such measures
 as are necessary to protect            
environmental1 historic1 and cultural   
resources4  7h7 ,project cap ,the total 
cost of a project carried out under this
 section may not exceed #ae1jjj1jjj4    
7i7 ,authorization of appropriations    
,there is authorized to be appropriated 
to carry out this section #ij1jjj1jjj4